For centuries the sighting of an eclipse has frightened, excited, and puzzled the human race. The first people that witnessed this phenomenon consider the Sun to be a source of life. Because of lack of knowledge, they feared it.. In the Caribbean and islands of the Pacific, the people believed that during an eclipse a dragon or monster was eating the sun. Early dates of the first recordings of these eclipses can be dated as far back as 647 B.C in an epilogue by Archilocus, "Zeus, father of the Olympians, made night from mid-day, hiding the light of the shining Sun, and sore fear came upon men". Ancient Chinese astronomers Hi and Ho have the earliest written record on October 22, 2134 B.C. In the southern parts of England, stands the Stonehenge structures, it is believed that these buildings were built around the same time as the Great Pyramids of Egypt, and serve as a astronomical observatory. Certain holes were apparently used as ways to predict an eclipse. Many coincidences of deaths on the nights of eclipses have been recorded. Eclipses have been recorded in historic writings, biblical times, and literature.
picture courtesty of san-julian.co.uk
ECLIPSE FORMATION
An eclipse is a rare event that exists when either the moon or Earth casts a shadow on each other. The two primary types of eclipses are a solar and lunar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is between the Earth and the Sun. The moon then cover up most of the Sun's light causing a shadow to be cast on Earth. When looking at the sky, the Sun can be seen as a halo of light. These can only occur on a New Moon phase (when the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun). If the moons shadow happens to fall on Earth, a portion of the Suns disk is covered or "eclipsed". A New Moon happens every 29 1/2 days however this does not mean a solar eclipse should happen every New Moon. This is because the Moon's orbit around Earth is tilted 5 degrees to Earth's orbit around the Sun. Resulting in the Moon's shadow missing Earth as it passes above or below Earth during a New Moon. A lunar eclipse occurs when the the Earth is between the Sun and the moon. This causes a shadow to be cast on the moon therefore eliminating it from view. Eclipses are a natural event that can happen on any planets with moons. Here on Earth, we experience an average of 4 to 7 eclipses in a year.
OBSERVING
At least twice a year, some part of the Moon's shadow falls upon Earths surface and eclipse of the Sun is seen from that region.Observing eclipses is all based on timing and location. The average time a lunar eclipse happens is from about every six months around intersection times (nodes). These eclipses can be observed as easy as the human naked eye. From the first instance the moon's penumbral shadow is cast on Earth, it is extremely dangerous to observe directly. This happens because the part of the Sun that is still not covered by the moon is still very bright. In order to observe it, you need a special filter or a homemade device to safely enjoy it.
Eclipses
For centuries the sighting of an eclipse has frightened, excited, and puzzled the human race. The first people that witnessed this phenomenon consider the Sun to be a source of life. Because of lack of knowledge, they feared it.. In the Caribbean and islands of the Pacific, the people believed that during an eclipse a dragon or monster was eating the sun. Early dates of the first recordings of these eclipses can be dated as far back as 647 B.C in an epilogue by Archilocus, "Zeus, father of the Olympians, made night from mid-day, hiding the light of the shining Sun, and sore fear came upon men". Ancient Chinese astronomers Hi and Ho have the earliest written record on October 22, 2134 B.C. In the southern parts of England, stands the Stonehenge structures, it is believed that these buildings were built around the same time as the Great Pyramids of Egypt, and serve as a astronomical observatory. Certain holes were apparently used as ways to predict an eclipse. Many coincidences of deaths on the nights of eclipses have been recorded. Eclipses have been recorded in historic writings, biblical times, and literature.
ECLIPSE FORMATION
An eclipse is a rare event that exists when either the moon or Earth casts a shadow on each other. The two primary types of eclipses are a solar and lunar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is between the Earth and the Sun. The moon then cover up most of the Sun's light causing a shadow to be cast on Earth. When looking at the sky, the Sun can be seen as a halo of light. These can only occur on a New Moon phase (when the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun). If the moons shadow happens to fall on Earth, a portion of the Suns disk is covered or "eclipsed". A New Moon happens every 29 1/2 days however this does not mean a solar eclipse should happen every New Moon. This is because the Moon's orbit around Earth is tilted 5 degrees to Earth's orbit around the Sun. Resulting in the Moon's shadow missing Earth as it passes above or below Earth during a New Moon. A lunar eclipse occurs when the the Earth is between the Sun and the moon. This causes a shadow to be cast on the moon therefore eliminating it from view. Eclipses are a natural event that can happen on any planets with moons. Here on Earth, we experience an average of 4 to 7 eclipses in a year.
OBSERVING
At least twice a year, some part of the Moon's shadow falls upon Earths surface and eclipse of the Sun is seen from that region.Observing eclipses is all based on timing and location. The average time a lunar eclipse happens is from about every six months around intersection times (nodes). These eclipses can be observed as easy as the human naked eye. From the first instance the moon's penumbral shadow is cast on Earth, it is extremely dangerous to observe directly. This happens because the part of the Sun that is still not covered by the moon is still very bright. In order to observe it, you need a special filter or a homemade device to safely enjoy it.
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